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9A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2016 Foster: ‘Mr. Astoria’ left imprint on city Continued from Page 1A Astoria High School Scholarships Inc., a nonprofit that provides finan- cial aid to graduating high school students looking to continue their education. The once-modest fund now awards more than $200,000 each year. “He always wanted the best for everyone,” said Marilyn Birkel, Fos- ter’s longtime friend and neighbor. People close to Foster remember him as gentle and generous, quirky and kind, respected and well-liked, a socialite with an offbeat flair, a his- tory buff and world-traveler. Foster was a good friend of Hal Snow, a prominent local lawyer who died last week in Portland at 75. Snow co-founded the high school scholarship fund. Both men grew up in Astoria, cherished their home- town and, with their time and tal- ents, supported it throughout their lives. The Daily Astorian/File Photo Michael Foster served on the Liberty Restoration Inc., board of directors continuously from its founding in 1994 through De- cember 2013. His nearly 20 years of support and volunteerism on the Liberty board included ap- plying by hand, gold paint with 18-karat gold powder added, to the ornamentation in the inside of the theater space. ‘Fun spirit’ A University of Oregon gradu- ate, Foster began teaching at Asto- ria High School in the early 1960s. A few years later, in Kabul, Afghan- istan, he was teaching through the U.S. Agency for International Development at the American School, where employees from dif- ferent embassies sent their children. He eventually returned to Asto- ria High School, where his subjects ranged from history to yearbook. In the mid-1970s, Foster became the school librarian, a position he held for about 20 years. “When he was teaching, he was always a real advocate for stu- dents,” said friend and colleague Bob Landwehr, the president of the scholarship fund who taught in the Astoria School District. John Goodenberger, a local his- torian who took some of Foster’s classes in high school, said Foster loved his students and stoked their sense of adventure. When Goodenberger was a senior, Foster proposed a senior trip, “and the senior trip was that we would pile into a bus after grad- uation, we wouldn’t know where we were going, and we’d wake up somewhere, and he would only give clues as to where we might go.” (John later learned the plan was to The Daily Astorian/File Photo Michael Foster sits in his Astoria home in 2010. Foster died Tuesday at age 76. major events, and he occasionally donated art as well — for example, to Astoria City Hall. Birkel, who helped care for Fos- ter, said she doesn’t yet know what will become of his vast art trove. Foster, who never married or had children, is survived by a sister who lives in Italy and some extended family. ‘Broad vision’ Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Michael Foster in the 1958 Asto- ria High School yearbook. Michael Foster in the 1958 Astoria High School yearbook. head into southeast Oregon toward Steens Mountain.) “It was unfortunate that my classmates didn’t latch onto that, so it didn’t happen,” Goodenberger said, “but I always remember that fun spirit that he had, and at least offering that to the students.” Many years, Foster took a group of students on a field trip to Europe. “He just opened up the world to a whole lot of kids,” Penner said. Foster was a renowned collec- tor of original art. Walking into his 6,500-square-foot Victorian home in Astoria was like entering an interna- tional art museum. In “Astorians: Eccentric and Extraordinary,” Foster spoke with M.J. Cody about collecting. “Asked in 2009 how many pieces of art he owns, he said, ‘3,600 have been cat- alogued.’ There are more, but he Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Art smart doesn’t know how many.” And, “About his obsession with collecting, Foster said, ‘It’s like a disease. It’s similar to alcoholism, except you feel better.’” For a time, he owned a down- town antique store. Foster’s taste was broad and deep, taking in famous and local artists. He often opened his house for artist receptions, fundraisers and “One of the things that strikes me the most about Michael was his vision,” Goodenberger wrote in an email. “He was born and raised in Asto- ria. He never allowed life in a small town to be a limiting factor. When he set his sights on something, any- thing could be bigger or better than its status quo. The Flavel Museum could be a wonderfully restored structure. The Heritage Museum could tell a wider story. The Lib- erty Theater could become a focal point for music and culture. And, the Astoria High School Scholarship Fund could offer a scholarship to any Astoria high school senior who wanted to attend college. “His broad vision will be his legacy.” Steve Forrester, The Daily Asto- rian’s former editor and publisher, contributed to this report. Always in our hearts.... Wendy Richardson 12-21-2015
